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Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs.

Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.

Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs.

Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.

Following a LittleBigPlanet appearance by Marvel Comics' most famous characters, DC is getting into the act with the DC Comics Premium Level Pack, a DLC addition that grants Sackboy new abilities, offers new missions, and finally answers the age-old question, "Who would win in a fight: Superman or an ambulatory burlap creature?"

Lead designer Ryan Bednar offers an introduction to "amplifiers," item sets scheduled to join Infinite Crisis in the MOBA's October update which offer players a simple way to alter the abilities and stats of their DC Comics superhero of choice.

Scribblenauts Unmasked is now available to the public and to celebrate, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released a trailer proving that not even Superman can compete with the powers of an imaginative child.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscomicsdc-comicsnintendoscribblenautsscribblenauts-unmaskedsupermanWarner-Bros-Interactivewii-uThu, 26 Sep 2013 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/02/mine-of-steel-trailer-blends-superman-with-minecraft/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/02/mine-of-steel-trailer-blends-superman-with-minecraft/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/02/mine-of-steel-trailer-blends-superman-with-minecraft/#comments
This trailer for the upcoming Man of Steel movie was recreated with a Minecraft-like twist by Steelehouse Productions. We prefer the cinematic experience of this animated trailer to the recreation of the first five minutes of Star Wars, which was created using Minecraft itself.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>machinimaman-of-steelmine-of-steelMinecraftmojangrecreationsteelehouse-productionssupermantrailerSun, 02 Jun 2013 22:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/injustice-gods-among-us-red-son-pre-order-dlc-available-to-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/injustice-gods-among-us-red-son-pre-order-dlc-available-to-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/injustice-gods-among-us-red-son-pre-order-dlc-available-to-all/#comments
Hey, remember that bundle of Red SonInjustice: Gods Among Us DLC that GameStop had as an exclusive pre-order bonus? In a fitting turn of events, said bundle will no longer be the privileged purview of the bourgeois and will instead be available to the sweaty, overworked proletariat masses as of next Tuesday.

No word yet on how much the DLC will cost, or whether it includes the pre-order's 20 bonus challenge missions in addition to the costumes seen above. The game's official twitter account has also asked which other characters from Red Son we'd like to see; we think the answer should be obvious.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AquamanBatmanFlashGreen-ArrowGreen-Lanterninjustice-gods-among-usJokermicrosoftNetherrealm-Studiosnintendoplaystationps3SupermanWarner-Bros-Interactive-Entertainmentwii-uWonder-WomanxboxFri, 15 Mar 2013 16:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/07/injustice-gods-among-us-red-son-pre-order-bonus-also-coming-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/07/injustice-gods-among-us-red-son-pre-order-bonus-also-coming-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/07/injustice-gods-among-us-red-son-pre-order-bonus-also-coming-t/#commentsOriginally revealed for UK retailers last month, the Superman: Red Son pre-order bonus DLC for Injustice: Gods Among Uswill be available exclusively at GameStop in North America. As shown in the trailer above, the DLC pack includes Red Son-inspired alternate costumes for Superman, Wonder Woman and Solomon Grundy (who wasn't in the Red Son comic storyline).

The pack also includes 20 extra missions set within the alternate Red Son universe, which is not to be confused with Injustice's also-alternate universe. It'll be interesting to see if Injustice's Red Son missions are actually set in an alternate version of Injustice's universe, making it an alternate, alternate universe. Alternate. Alternate. Now it just looks weird.

The most important part of either of these videos isn't the fact that Green Arrow has some decidedly Sub-Zero moves going on, or that Sinestro's slender torso makes us uncomfortable, but rather that the Clash system is still in place. First seen at E3 last year, the Clash system was in danger of being scrapped altogether last August, though it seems NetherRealm was able to make the system work.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clashclash-systemgreen-arrowhawkgirlinjustice-gods-among-usmicrosoftNetherrealm-Studiosnintendoplaystationps3sinestrosupermanWarner-Bros-Interactive-Entertainmentwii-uxboxSat, 02 Mar 2013 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/finnish-composer-pulkkinen-working-on-unannounced-ps4-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/finnish-composer-pulkkinen-working-on-unannounced-ps4-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/finnish-composer-pulkkinen-working-on-unannounced-ps4-game/#commentsComposer Ari Pulkkinen, known for his work with Finnish developers Housemarque, Rovio and Frozenbyte, is providing the soundtrack and sound design for an "unannounced PS4 game," according to his LinkedIn profile. Under his 'Experience' tab, Pulkkinen says he's also providing soundtracks for an iPad game and PSN game, both also unannounced.

While Pulkkinen's experience is diverse - he's composed soundtracks for several entries in the Angry Birds and Trine series - the majority of his PlayStation-based work has been for Housemarque. Pulkkinen provided the soundtracks for Super Stardust HD, Outland, Dead Nation, and Super Stardust Delta.

Earlier this month, Housemarque responded to a leak of concept art that included Dead Nation 2, as well as tie-ins to Superman and Walking Dead games. In an official statement, the studio said, "As for the artworks on display, they belong to a discarded batch and are not representative of projects we might or might not be working on."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-nation-2europefinlandfrozenbytehousemarqueps4PSNremedy-entertainmentroviosupermanthe-walking-deadMon, 18 Feb 2013 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/injustice-gods-among-us-plots-supermans-ascendance/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/injustice-gods-among-us-plots-supermans-ascendance/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/30/injustice-gods-among-us-plots-supermans-ascendance/#commentsTwo men are fighting in space, as is often the case. The Earth, beautiful in blue, watches through a massive window while the two brawlers scuff and smash the sleek interior of a space station. I'm rooting for Batman, but my health bar's on the wane.

According to NetherRealms Studios Producer Hector Sanchez, this build of Injustice: Gods Among Us hasn't been tuned properly, so it's no surprise to see my masked nemesis, Bane, breaking my back over and over on difficulty spikes. To compensate I keep looking for an opportunity to activate Batman's special attack, in which he summons his hammerhead shark of a car to crush his opponent. Wondering how it gets up there - in space, at this hour - is a bit silly.

"It's a video game," says Sanchez. Everyone in the room chuckles, shaking off the perils of pondering the logistics behind a fighting game super move. That's a story on a microscopic scale compared to the one Injustice: Gods Among Us really wants to tell.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batmaninjustice-gods-among-usmicrosoftNetherrealm-Studiosnintendoplaystationps3supermanwii-uxboxWed, 30 Jan 2013 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/tony-hawks-pro-skater-hd-soundtrack-revealed-superman-returns/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/tony-hawks-pro-skater-hd-soundtrack-revealed-superman-returns/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/tony-hawks-pro-skater-hd-soundtrack-revealed-superman-returns/#commentsWe've been pretty worried about the fate of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD's soundtrack after we caught word that the remake probably wouldn't have all of the songs featured in the first two Pro Skater titles, stemming from licensing issues and whatnot. Now that the complete soundtrack has been released, though, we're feeling a little more confident about hitting the asphalt goofy-style once more.

The complete track list can be found after the break, and we're glad to say that "Superman" by Goldfinger and "When Worlds Collide" by Powerman 5000 are both present and accounted for. The new replacement tracks include stylistically appropriate songs such as "Flyentology" by hip-hop artist El-P (featuring Trent Reznor). El-P once featured on the Del the Funky Homosapien track "Offspring," and Del's song "If You Must" was on the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 soundtrack. If we're playing by Six Degrees of Separation rules, we can call that a winner.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionel-pmicrosoftplaystationpowerman-5000ps3rodomodosoundtracksupermantony-hawk-pro-skater-hdtony-hawks-pro-skater-hdxboxThu, 24 May 2012 21:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/11/concept-art-shows-superman-and-villains-from-factor-5s-canned-g/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/11/concept-art-shows-superman-and-villains-from-factor-5s-canned-g/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/11/concept-art-shows-superman-and-villains-from-factor-5s-canned-g/#comments
It would have been a bird! It would have been a plane! Back in 2008, Factor 5 was working on a Superman game codenamed Blue Steel. The studio ran into trouble, as did the game's erstwhile publisher, Brash Entertainment, and the Superman game was cancelled.

Siliconera dug up some concept art by character designer Daveed Kaplan depicting Superman as he would have appeared in the game -- and revealing some of the villains that would have been included. Surprise! Lex Luthor is there, in ginormous armor, as are Darkseid, Kalibak, Zod, and Zod's associate Non. You can see all of them as they would have appeared, had they not been banished to the Phantom Zone, at Siliconera.

[Update: The Siliconera post is no longer available, and we have removed our image, at Kaplan's request.]

Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Superman.

You have to give a little credit to anyone willing to put "Superman" in the title of a game, considering The Man of Steel's history with interactive entertainment is ... suspect at best.

But for Chillingo to have that be the only word in the title of its new mobile release? You could smash a mirror over the head of a black cat that lives in a haunted asylum built on an ancient Native American burial ground, and still not be risking that much peril.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chillingoiosipadiphonemobileportablisssupermanTue, 06 Dec 2011 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/warner-bros-interactive-entertainment-talks-strategy-new-hobbi/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/warner-bros-interactive-entertainment-talks-strategy-new-hobbi/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/warner-bros-interactive-entertainment-talks-strategy-new-hobbi/#comments
The release of Batman: Arkham City this week marks a nice success for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of the movie studio that started out with the less than popular The Matrix Online, and has slowly built up an empire that includes the Batman franchise, the Lego video games, and the Mortal Kombat series. The LA Times has a short profile of the company, and goes into detail on how it worked with studios like Traveller's Tales and Netherrealm to build up popular video game franchises that stand on their own even compared to the movie products.

That's not to say that the plan always works (remember the Green Lantern game?), but Warner Bros. seems to have built up a few solid properties independent of tie-in movies. The next, then, is apparently a Hobbit game -- the article says there will be a game based on Peter Jackson's movie sometime next year. The company will also release a Lego Batman sequel, and some other casual online games featuring Warner characters.

Oh, and there's one more: an unannounced game based on a different DC superhero. Has anyone else been J'onzzing for a Martian Manhunter escapade?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batman-arkham-citydc-comicslego-batmanman-of-steelmicrosoftpcplaystationps3supermanthe-hobbitwarner-bros-interactive-entertainmentxboxWed, 19 Oct 2011 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/the-man-of-steel-returns-to-video-games-on-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/the-man-of-steel-returns-to-video-games-on-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/the-man-of-steel-returns-to-video-games-on-ios/#comments
There's a lot going on in the DC Universe these days, what with the radically controversial reboot of all its franchises and the new Superman movie that's currently in production, so of course now is the perfect time to announce an iOS Superman title has nothing to do with any of that stuff.

IGN reports that veteran iOS publisher Chillingo and Denki Blocks! developer Tiger Games (No, not that Tiger) will bring the last son of Krypton to Apple's mobile operating system, heat-vision and arch-nemesis Lex Luthor in tow. Each level will pit Supes against various sets of challenges, with metals awarded at the completion of each level, ala Angry Birds. Little else is known at the moment, but here's hoping it turns out better than Superman 64.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chillingodcdc-comicsDC-universeiosipadiphoneman-of-steelmobilenew-52supermansuperman-iostiger-gamesSun, 16 Oct 2011 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/04/dc-universe-online-facebook-page-teases-fifth-update-soon/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/04/dc-universe-online-facebook-page-teases-fifth-update-soon/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/04/dc-universe-online-facebook-page-teases-fifth-update-soon/#commentsDC Universe Online's official Facebook account has teased the fifth update for the popular console and PC MMO, hinting at new features and new characters to play with. The "Fate of the Fortress" update will include a new difficulty mode for the Hive Alert zone (with new loot to match), a duel feature for fighting friends, the ability to fight in the Batcave as yourself (rather than as the premade Iconic characters), and appearances from both Jor-El, Superman's dad, and the evil General Zod. We're not sure how that last one will be used, but best guess is that you'll have to /kneel before him.

That's just a little MMO humor for you there (very little). DCUO is scheduled to go free-to-play by the end of this month, and so presumably the update will drop sometime right around then. In fact, the official account comments on the Facebook page that "Update 5 is soon, F2P is Late October," so we may even see this new content out sooner than the changeover.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batcavebatmandcDC-Universe-Onlinedcuofate-of-the-fortressjor-elpcplaystationps3supermanzodTue, 04 Oct 2011 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/11/kinect-hack-fps-is-for-first-person-superman/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/11/kinect-hack-fps-is-for-first-person-superman/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/11/kinect-hack-fps-is-for-first-person-superman/#comments
Utilizing a Vuzix video headset and the Kinect, this project from the University of Amsterdam lets you pretend to be Superman. The experience offers many of Supe's abilities, including ice breath, super strength, heat vision and, best of all, first-person flying. Bonus, you can also zap Darth Vader.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kinectkinect-hacksmicrosoftpcsupermanxboxFri, 11 Feb 2011 02:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/05/dc-universe-online-beta-ends-today-with-a-big-ol-fight/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/05/dc-universe-online-beta-ends-today-with-a-big-ol-fight/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/05/dc-universe-online-beta-ends-today-with-a-big-ol-fight/#comments
Saturday night certainly is alright for fighting, but DC Universe Online would rather you engage in battle today, ending the beta for DCUO with an event: "Battle of the Legends." Players can either align with good or evil and battle alongside the likes of Joker, Batman, Superman, and Lex Luthor -- a full list of the battles can be found after the break.

We'd suggest hopping on the PC version around 5PM PST and joining up with Future Batman (as piloted by famed comic artist Jim Lee) to take down evil, or if you're feeling more edgy, the PS3 version around 7PM PST to join Lee as Future Joker in creating chaos. If you miss the whole event, well, the game officially launches next week, so no biggie. That said, if you're really sore about missing it, the full play-by-play will be broadcast via DCUO's Facebook page. "Like" away!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batmanbattle-of-the-legendsbetaDC-Universe-Onlinefacebookjim-leelex-luthormmopcplaystationps3supermanthe-jokerWed, 05 Jan 2011 11:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/dc-universe-online-enlisting-recruits-jan-11-in-na-jan-14-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/dc-universe-online-enlisting-recruits-jan-11-in-na-jan-14-in/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/dc-universe-online-enlisting-recruits-jan-11-in-na-jan-14-in/#comments
Since being pushed to an amorphous "spring 2011" release window back in October, DC Universe Online has been given a solid launch date once and for all: January 11 in North America and January 14 in the UK. Sony Online Entertainment confirmed the dates in an interview with IGN, also announcing the game's $199 lifetime subscription price (a bit over 13 months worth of sub. fees), as well as it's main pricing structure: $49.99 on PC / $59.99 on PS3 with one month subscription, $14.99 for subsequent months.

"We're going to be here for far more than a single year. We've got a lot of universe to build, and we're not going to stop anytime soon," game director Chris Cao said of the lifetime subscription pricing. Cao also detailed an end-of-the-world event that will take place within DCUO before it launches in January. "Jim Lee and our friends at DC are going to join us in a live, end-of-beta event where players will fight alongside and against the iconics as Brainiac's menace yet looms," he explained, adding, "It will be an epic end and thank you for beta. And it will set the stage for the real struggle to come in live."

Another struggle to come alongside the game's launch? How to get players to choose another mentor -- as expected, Superman was the favorite "by far." Of course, we'll be bucking the trend with a super villain mimicking hip-hop personality MF Doom. Too obvious?

A major new player has been added to PSP's digital comics reader. DC Comics will begin distributing its comics via the PlayStation Store starting today, with an initial selection of over 80 comics priced from $0.99 to $2.99. Some of the offerings include: Batman: Hush, Green Lantern: Rebirth, God of War, Resistance, and Superman/Batman. A free 10-page preview of Superman #700 (pictured) will be available to download, as well.

In addition, Sony has updated the Digital Comics app to version 2.01, which adds a number of new features, such as the ability to delete comics directly from the app, and the ability to read right-to-left for Japanese manga titles. To download the update, go to the Digital Comics app from the XMB, hit triangle, and select "Version information."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dc-comicsdigital-comicsplaystationplaystation-storepsnpsppsp-digital-comicssupermanWed, 23 Jun 2010 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/19/nba-2k10-selects-kobe-nba-live-10-settles-for-howard/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/19/nba-2k10-selects-kobe-nba-live-10-settles-for-howard/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/19/nba-2k10-selects-kobe-nba-live-10-settles-for-howard/#comments
Dwight Howard probably wasn't much consoled by his image on the recently revealed NBA Live 10 box cover after losing the NBA Finals to the Lakers on Sunday, but the honor must have meant a little something (if not just more pocket change) to the Magic's superman -- until now. Kobe Bryant, winner and MVP of the NBA Finals, has been selected as the boastful NBA 2K10 cover athlete, cementing another dominant victory over Howard. 2K Sports' b-ball franchise has long been superior to EA Sports' annual effort, after all. We're thinking Howard should demand a trade.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-sportsblack-mambabox-artcover-athletedwight-howardeaea-sportsElectronic-Artskobe-byrantnba-2k10nba-live-10supermantake-twoFri, 19 Jun 2009 06:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/factor-5-shuts-down-us-operations/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/factor-5-shuts-down-us-operations/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/14/factor-5-shuts-down-us-operations/#comments
Factor 5 officially announced the closure of its US operations recently, concluding a story that feels like it's been just out of reach for half a year. The developer had been having some rough times since the poignant failure of Lair. Following that, there was its falling out with Brash Entertainment (which led to layoffs), leaks of the Superman and Kid Icarus games, and, obviously, the closure of the studio.

The bright side on this really dark tale is that Achim Moller, CEO of Factor 5 Germany, states the company has "partnered with both old and new friends in the industry who will reveal our upcoming projects over the next months." With E3 visible in the smog-filled distance, perhaps we'll learn what the German-based developer is up to soon.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessclosuredepressioneconomyfactor-5kid-icaruslairlayoffsrecessionsupermanThu, 14 May 2009 13:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/an-unreleased-superman-nes-game-for-your-enjoyment/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/an-unreleased-superman-nes-game-for-your-enjoyment/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/28/an-unreleased-superman-nes-game-for-your-enjoyment/#comments
This post is a little bit of a history lesson, but at the end you get to play a game, so stick with us. A few years ago, an unreleased Sunsoft game, called Sunman, was uncovered -- and it was pretty clearly a re-purposed Superman game. Now, an even earlier version of that same game (which actually features the Man of Steel!) has been discovered and made available for your perusal.

The gameplay is so-so, but there's an absolutely gorgeous version of John Williams' Superman theme that we just adore. It's worth it for the music alone, trust us.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lost-levelsnesretrosunmansunsoftsupermanTue, 28 Apr 2009 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/alleged-screens-and-video-from-factor-5s-canned-superman-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/alleged-screens-and-video-from-factor-5s-canned-superman-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/10/alleged-screens-and-video-from-factor-5s-canned-superman-game/#comments
Some footage and screens from Factor 5's Superman project have managed to make their way online, courtesy of Unseen64. While we would've liked to have seen some actual gameplay, sadly the only items on offer are a brief CG trailer (past the break) and some screens. We'd offer our opinion on it all one way or the other, but all of this media seems to be from really early in the game's development -- who knows which way the title was headed?

Yesterday, we put the questions to DCUO senior producer Wes Yanagi during a hands-on with pre-alpha code -- the same code playable on the show floor at this weekend's New York Comic Con, in case you're wondering. He debriefed us on the current situation regarding cross-platform play, character customization and a whole slew of other interesting stuff -- including how his current gaming (Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy Tactics) is affecting the development process.

We'd like to give you an audio option but, unfortunately, the recording conditions of the room were less than ideal. Hit the break for the whole thing in text form.

Nearly every company in the video game industry has taken a hit during this economic fiasco -- though we've seen a few cases where the full brunt of the recession has come down on certain developers and publishers. Factor 5, creator of the wildly criticized Lair, appeared to be the latest company to suffer under the credit crunch -- one of its employees, Sam Baker (who blogs under the moniker MISTASAM), recently posted about "financial issues" which kept his fellow developers from receiving payment and health care benefits, and ultimately led the company to "stop production" on a project he'd been working on for eight months.

However, this post (cached version), as well as every other post on Baker's blog, disappeared quickly after its publication, and was replaced by a brief correction. In this follow-up post, Baker explains that the closure of Brash Entertainment, whom Factor 5 was working with on what was rumored to be a new Superman title, had caused the economic distress. Baker adds that whatever game Factor 5 was developing for Brash is still alive and well (and was never "in trouble"), and that the rest of the studio's projects are "doing great".

This second post is confusing and somewhat contradictive, to say the least. While the erasure of Baker's entire blog certainly gives off an air of impropriety, we can't be certain of what exactly is going on at Factor 5. With the inital post mentioning employee layoffs, we certainly hope the cheery exposition of the second post proves accurate -- not just because of our concern for our fellow man, but because we really want a new Rogue Squadron game.

Last week's closure of Brash Entertainment left a number of unanswered questions lingering, and as thrilled as we are that Saw is still set to get its game on, we're more curious to find out if Superman survived the publisher's swift implosion. The Man of Steel was allegedly the subject of a deal between Brash and Factor 5 earlier this year, and MTV Multiplayer recently caught up with the Lairdeveloper's president, Julian Eggebrecht, to find out more.

While the exec admitted that Factor 5 is working on "several" multi-platform and Wii-specific titles, he stopped just short of admitting that the studio is developing a game based on Superman. "One of our large-scale multi-platform projects was started with Brash because it is a dream property for us, hasn't been given its dues in gaming since the Atari 2600, and has a huge universe to draw from," teased Eggebrecht, who added that "things are obviously in flux and we hope that the game proves to be as indestructible as our hero..."

Though still unconfirmed, it seems fairly obvious that Factor 5 has its sights set on the son of Jor-El. We just hope that there's something left of him after his current cross-universe beatdown.

Several weeks after another Brash Entertainment co-founder bolted and CEO Mitch Davis admitted his company had been "overly ambitious" in its first year, the publisher of really bad movie-based games has laid out a new "strategic cost reduction plan." Uh-oh, that sounds like ... you've got it: Layoffs. The company will axe 20 members of its staff and do away with several positions in the short term, reports GameDaily. The good news? Six Flags Fun Park for Wii and SAW are still on! Phew.

Read Brash's official statement after the break.

Update:Variety reports Brash has also stopped paying its developers and is attempting to "return" or sell off many of its licensed properties. Currently in limbo: Tale of Desperaux, Prison Break, Night at the Museum 2, Clash of the Titans, 300, and an announced Superman game (allegedly to be developed by Factor 5).

The Art of the DC Universe Online panel was overshadowed by the presence of artist Jim Lee, who fielded most of the questions about the design elements that are going into this game (as it's based on his visual style). We managed to learn some new elements about the game, including the special "inspired by" mode they've added to character creation.

The panel consisted of art director Jared Carr, Jim Lee, lead character artist Jason Smith, and creative director Jens Anderson. Check out all the zap!, pow!, and bam! highlights after the break.

Opinion leadership. It's quite a scary concept. When planning the waves of advertisement for a product, marketers will implement what they describe as "opinion leaders": those who are viewed with respect by the potential market and will help persuade "lower-level consumers" to purchase their product. In other words, we're too stupid to know what we want and so they're going to pay someone we think is legitimate to tell us what we like. I wouldn't dare point fingers, but perhaps you've seen this before: a large gaming news source suddenly seems to be hot for a certain upcoming game. (Don't look at us.)

As discomforting as this sounds, it's actually a very common and natural occurrence. Certainly we've all been persuaded by friends, family, and respectable gaming news sources. Additionally, the influence isn't restricted towards the positive. Indeed, in the wake of anti-French sentiments and boycotts following France's denouncement of the Iraq war, French's Mustard (unrelated to the country) felt the need to release a press statement assuring consumers that "the only thing French about French's Mustard is the name." As you can see, unrelated negativity can percolate into that which is only similar in the letters used to identify it.

Superman for the N64 -- commonly referred to as Superman 64 -- is widely regarded as one of the worst games of all-time. So when I discovered Superman Returns for the DS floating around the very bottom of the system's metascores, I was truly puzzled. "Could they really have messed up Supermanthis bad twice?" Read on to find out.

Even cynics like us have to admit at least a passing curiosity with the nerd orgasm that is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and its cross-universe roster. Earlier today we approached the game's production coordinator, Hector Sanchez, and while he would not let us in on the game's complete lineup, he admitted that the team is looking to feature between 20 to 25 characters, "split up evenly half and half, and then split up again between heroes and villains."

Additionally, while talking about possible alternate costumes or other unlockables, Sanchez told us that the team is "planning to support downloadable content," before stopping short and saying he "was going to say something" but couldn't. Downloadable characters seems the obvious source of his pursed lips, making us continue wondering what comic book icons will be further ground beneath the heel of Midway's floundering franchise.

Scorpion vs. Batman. Catwoman vs. Subzero. These aren't exactly matchups players have always dreamed of, but Midway is going to do their best to cram two disparate universes into one with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the very first Mortal Kombat game on the next-gen systems. Here at E3, Joystiq got to sit down with Brian Lebaron, senior designer for the game, and we talked about why it's OK to set the Flash on fire, why Bizarro probably won't be in the game, and what Midway is doing to Toasty uppercut the fighting genre.

After the break, find our hands on with the game, as well as details from our chat with Lebaron. When MK vs. DC comes out, you'll finally be able to find out whether Liu Kang's kicks can catch the Flash in the jaw.

In a brief interview with Gamespot, Midway's Ed Boon has (once again) discussed the return of fatalities in upcoming cross-brand brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The infamous finishing moves will be performed by all Mortal Kombatants and DC Comics villains, but not by any of DC's untarnished heroes. You know, the ones "who don't kill that often." Instead, nicer folks like The Flash will have "brutalities," moves which inflict pain upon the recipients without totally murdering them.

Of course, don't expect the levels of violence and depravity to be quite up there (down there?) with previous Mortal Kombat games, as Ed Boon mentions that this Unreal-powered showdown is still pushing a slightly Tamer boundary. "Certain animations, blood effects, and sound effects that we have in the game are really pushing the T-rating envelope," he said. We're sure gore hounds will find this worthy of debate, but we're more concerned about everything that happens before the fatality.

Let's hope E3 grants us the opportunity to beat the snot out of that smug Superman.

The official website for Midway's Unreal-powered, cross-dimensional brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, has posted the first shot of what appears to be Superman's 3D model. As you can see, the developers have managed to capture the Kryptonian's chiseled features, indestructible physique and patriotic pose quite well. So well, in fact, that we're left feeling a little sorry for the mere mortal kombatants.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BatmanDC-UniverseMidwayMK-vs-DCMortal-KombatMortal-Kombat-vs-DC-UniversePS3ScorpionSupermanUnrealXbox-360Wed, 21 May 2008 11:29:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/25/today-in-joystiq-august-24-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/25/today-in-joystiq-august-24-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/25/today-in-joystiq-august-24-2007/#comments
Normally we'd save such horrific imagery until Halloween, but since you're enjoying our Penny Arcade Expo coverage so much, we thought to bring balance to the world by inflicting upon the squeamish such graphic displays of ... really bad gaming. Check out the highlights for today:

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dailyrecapsupermanSat, 25 Aug 2007 02:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/12/saturday-psp-background-explosion/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/12/saturday-psp-background-explosion/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/12/saturday-psp-background-explosion/#commentsEvery week, PSP Fanboy brings you new backgrounds to rejuvinate the look of your PSP. Remember, you can save these images directly to your PSP by accessing the site wireless at m.pspfanboy.com. The fan requests, we've been doing lately have proved to be very popular, so this week there's another set of fan requests fulfilled. Continue on to find out if your background request has materialized into the real thing.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>.hackbackgroundbackgroundsspidermansupermanSat, 12 May 2007 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/22/superman-64-almost-had-an-evil-twin-on-the-ps1/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/22/superman-64-almost-had-an-evil-twin-on-the-ps1/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/22/superman-64-almost-had-an-evil-twin-on-the-ps1/#commentsFiled under: Culture, RetroUniversally recognized as the worst video game ever created, Superman 64 was this close to unleashing a spawn on the original PlayStation. According to an article at PlayStation Museum, when Titus was wrapping up development on the game in late '98, plans were to port the title to the PS1.

But then Superman 64 was released and began to induce physical pain on players. Even though the PS1 game was approved for release by Sony and issued a product code, it's obvious someone decided to hit the eject button on the project. Officially the game was canned due to "licensing difficulties", but we know it was a merciful act of God.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>badideanintendo64supermantitusSun, 22 Apr 2007 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/superman-demo-doesnt-suck-hell-freezes/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/superman-demo-doesnt-suck-hell-freezes/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/superman-demo-doesnt-suck-hell-freezes/#commentsI just downloaded the Superman Returns demo and gave it a quick play through. In short, it's actually pretty good (I invite my fellow 360 Fanboy bloggers to disagree). It seems like for all the crap EA puts on the market, there's always one or two good games, too. It's the law of averages really. After all, if you put out 500* games a year, at least a few of them have to be good, right? Superman, however, is special, and not just because he's Superman either. No, the Son of Krypton has a sordid past in the videogame world. It's arguable that there has only ever been one Superman game that was actually fun, and that was the arcade game -- in fairness, I've never played the NES Superman and I somewhat enjoyed The Death and Return of Superman on Genesis/SNES. Read on for impressions (especially Live Silver members, who, we have just learned, cannot currently download the demo).